Tales from the Inside

Intoday’s column: More on the forced alliance between County Executive Dan McCoy and county Republicans to get his nursing home privatization deal done; and two-term Albany Councilwoman Barbara Smith is poised to announce tomorrow that she won’t seek re-election this year.

Meanwhile, 4th Ward Democratic Leader Clifton Dixon has acknowledged he is “seriously considering” running for Smith’s seat himself and will call a ward committee meeting early next month to ask the members who they want to support. Smith is said to already be a supporting a candidate to succeed her in the district that covers North Albany and parts of Arbor Hill (more on that later).